The Art of War (孫子兵法, Sūn Zǐ Bīng Fǎ) is a short Chinese text on warfare, written by Sun Tzu (birth name Sun Wu, Sun Tzu/Zi is an honorific meaning Master Sun), believed to have been a general of the nation of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period (722–481 BCE). In it, Sun gives a basic overview of both strategy and tactics that has given countless generations of military leaders and thinkers a basic grounding in military theory.

The text's surprisingly general and generous overlaps with military-minded common sense go a long way to explain its popularity and universality. Sun maintains the importance of knowing one's enemies and oneself, striking at the enemy's weaknesses with overwhelming force, concealing one's own weaknesses, and the general importance of deception to military operations. Also covered are how to fight on different types of terrain, the use of fire, and the importance of spies. Perhaps surprisingly, the opening essay stresses the undesirability of going to war at all, and how wars should be brought to a conclusion as quickly and brutally as possible.

The Art of War is easily the best-known military book ever written, and is still one of the most influential. Numerous translations are available, most of which include at least a few commentaries and annotations (in fact, without the annotations, introductions and footnotes, The Art of War is surprisingly short). It is required reading in many militaries even today, and some Korean and Japanese corporations require their employees to read it and apply its lessons to the world of commerce. Napoleon is said to have had a well-used copy in French, and the WWII US general Douglas MacArthur is known to have taken its teachings to heart. It is also required reading in many executivebusiness courses; make of that what you will. There's even a story in the Comic BookThe Question where the eponymous hero and Green Arrow fights some bad guys while quoting the book throughout.

Big Book of War: Though it only becomes big when you add the commentaries to it. The original Classical Chinese edition fits on half a pamphlet.

Captain Obvious: "If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight." Despite the text you just read likely inciting you to think "THEN WHY WOULDN'T YOU!?", the context of the line continues and refers to how a monarch may want you to not fight for whatever reason. The rest of the line also states that if you will clearly lose, don't fight even if your sovereign commands you to.

Deadpan Snarker: Whilst it is generally down to the translation rather than Sun himself, there are some rather witty quips.

Though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.

Defeat Means Friendship: Sun Tzu encourages the reader to allow prisoners of war to change side. Once they do, they should be treated as fellow soldiers alongside with the other soldiers.

This seems odd to Western readers, as Europe has a long tradition of parole, ransom and prisoner exchange, but was actually just business as usual in premodern China.

Defensive Feint Trap: If the enemy has a strong hold over a defensive position, pretend that you're retreating from him. If he's stupid enough to follow you, you'll then either lead him into a trap or turn around and attack him again. If he doesn't follow you, then it'll save you more soldiers who will live to fight another day.

Dirty Coward: Cowardice is one of the five weaknesses of the general that can lead into defeat.

Disturbed Doves: IX, 22: "The rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambuscade. Startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming."

Don't Make Me Destroy You: Sun Tzu said that "supreme excellence" in wartime wasn't winning every battle, but breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. One of the advised tactics to this end is to intimidate an enemy into surrender by saying that, though you don't want to escalate things, you'll be merciless if you're forced to fight.

Executive Meddling: Not literally, but in the book, Sun Tzu acknowledges the dangers that might come if a head of state without military experience or training thinks he's hot shot and decides to meddle with the generals' plans and make the strategic decisions himself. It's why it's important for the general to stand up to the head of state if he immediately sees the flaws in his plans.

A Father to His Men: Emotional connections between commanders and soldiers is encouraged since it'll improve the soldiers' fighting spirit.

However, being too much a Father to the men is one of the "Five Dangerous Faults of a General". If the commander sacrifices important advantages for the sake of his troops' comfort, then defeat or needlessly prolonged conflict follows. In other words, being too 'good' to one's men will get more of them killed in the long-run.

Guile Hero: A truly worthy general will have the traits of this. A quote from the work reads "All warfare is based on deception."

Hair-Trigger Temper: It's important for the general not have a short temper and to know how to keep his head cool, or he might make costly mistakes. If your enemy has this, then you should provoke him to get him to mess up.

Kill It with Fire: There's an entire chapter devoted to the use of fire, although the last part of this chapter is about "don't fight because of anger".

Know When To Fold Them: If the enemy is too strong to face without being annihilated, sometimes it's wiser to bug off and call it a day.

Leeroy Jenkins: A more stupider battle plan doesn't exist (wording is deliberate to illustrate a point). It just gives your enemies a quick victory, and you'll lose plenty of manpower as well as much of your reputation as a tactician.

Sun Tzu listed it among five dangerous traits of a general.

He who is reckless can be killed.

— 8th chapter: Nine Changes

However, Sun Tzu also warns against the opposite of this:

Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.

— 2nd chapter: Waging War

Mundane Utility: Not only does it find use in war; the themes and ideas in this book have several other applications in everyday life such as business and sports.

Never Split the Party: It's safer to remain as a whole rather than splitting up the army in hopes for quicker recon gathering.

Unless you outnumber them two to one, then it outright tells you to split up, though it's only because you're going to use a flanking tactic.

"If instructions are not clear and commands not explicit, it is the commander's fault."

Rape, Pillage, and Burn: Encouraged, though with more emphasis on "pillage" than "burn" and nothing about the "rape".

It says an army on the move should pillage resources captured from the people they're invading to ease logistical problems, and to destroy what they can't take if it appears their opponent would use it. Although there really isn't anything specifically said against the first part, it can be assumed that it is not recommended as a standard practice.

Real Life Writes the Plot: It has been historically proven that much of what the book recommends is essential for success in the long term.

Schmuck Bait: If you have something the enemy wants, lay it down somewhere and get your troops ready to ambush him if he takes it. Also, learn how you can avoid taking those baits the enemy lays down for you.

The Spymaster: Spies are important, so a general should be this trope as well.

The introduction to the chapter on spies is a masterpiece of coercion. Sun Tzu calculates how much protracted war costs a state, then brings up the price of spies before finally accusing generals who don't use spies to speed up combat of crimes against humanity.

Stockholm Syndrome: It advises invoking this trope on POWs as a matter of standard policy, because it works often enough to be worth the effort. Countries that comply with the Geneva convention usually take this advice to heart, and treat them well.

"The preparation of mantlets, movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take up three whole months, and the piling up of mounds over against the walls will take three months more. The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one third of his men are slain while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege."

Swamps Are Evil: You should avoid swamps as much as possible and if you do end up in one, go through it as quickly as you can. Have your back turned on the trees so that no enemy can attack you from behind.

Take a Third Option: A lot of passages strongly advocate against getting caught in situations where you are presented with only a few obvious courses of action.

Unwitting Pawn: Arguably the concept of the Doomed Spy, whose sole purpose is for your real spy to reveal him to the enemy, thus allowing your real spy to gain the enemy's trust and allowing the Doomed Spy to give the enemy false information. This is averted if the Doomed Spy knows whats going to happen to him beforehand.

Xanatos Gambit: Learning to create a win-win situation would be invaluable for any general so naturally there's a few words on how to do it.

See also False Retreat; never really a bad idea because you stand to gain no matter what happens.

The note on Desperation Attack; if the soldiers run (preferably) they're routed with fewer losses. If they don't run, they're still routed.

Another one, when the enemy is bearing down on you, attack his weakest ally. Either he'll pull out to aid him, or he'll continue on after you, in which case no one will want to ally with someone who abandons them to death. Either you save yourself or you weaken whatever alliances the enemy has going for them.

Xanatos Speed Chess: Don't expect that just one tactic or strategy will help you defeat your foes in the long run. As you fight you'll have to learn that "according as circumstances are favourable, one should modify one's plans."

Zerg Rush: Discouraged in hard and long tasks like siege warfare, but encouraged on open battlefields, especially when it's clear that you outnumber the enemy.

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